(a) Technical Field
The present invention relates to an apparatus for producing fuel for a fuel cell car, and more particularly, to an apparatus that produces hydrogen in a fuel cell car without separately receiving hydrogen.
(b) Background Art
In view of the growing problems with global warming and the high price of oil, there is a need to develop technologies based on highly efficient, sustainable sources of energy. In particular, there is a need to develop vehicle technologies based on such sustainable sources of energy that also have the ability to reduce or eliminate the production of greenhouse gases.
Accordingly, many manufacturers have made an effort to develop vehicle technologies based on a secondary battery and a fuel cell as an energy source. In particular, with respect to the fuel cell, the majority of current research is focused on the hydrogen supply system and the cells that make up the fuel cell. Currently, a conventional hydrogen supply system is based on a super high pressure hydrogen tank, which is generally a container capable of holding compressed hydrogen at a pressure of not less than 700 bar. Consequently, there is no need to provide sub-devices in the hydrogen supply system, which results in a relatively simple hydrogen delivery system design. Unfortunately, such a hydrogen supply system has several significant disadvantages. For example, there are safety concerns with respect to accidents involving vehicles that contain hydrogen storage tanks with hydrogen under such high-pressures. Additionally, such hydrogen supply systems require a nationwide infrastructure capable of supplying hydrogen for use in such hydrogen supply systems in a vehicle, which is likely to take up to 20 years to develop. Furthermore, since the hydrogen supply system delivers hydrogen under pressure, the components of the fuel cell must be made from composites able to withstand this pressure. This has the disadvantage of increasing the cost required to produce the fuel cell. Accordingly, there is a need to develop technologies that enable hydrogen to be produced on board a vehicle.